An escaped Brown County inmate was captured almost eight hours after walking away from a work crew Tuesday.

William Robert Smith Jr. was taken into custody after a witness alerted the Brown County Sheriff's Office at 7:10 p.m. that a man matching Smith's description was at the Brownwood Regional Medical Center, according to a news release.

Officers from the sheriff's office and the Brownwood Police Department took Smith into custody without incident on the southeast side of the hospital. The suspect was wearing camouflaged clothing — not the black-and-white jail jumpsuit he was wearing at the time of his escape, the release stated.

Smith walked away from a work crew about 11:25 a.m. at the Brown County Precinct 1 barn near U.S. Highway 377 and Coggin Avenue, south of Brownwood,

During his escape, Smith allegedly burgled a Brownwood business, stealing clothes and a vehicle and damaging a gate, the sheriff's office said.

Smith is in the Brown County Jail on several new charges, including a felony escape charge. His bonds total $255,000.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Brown County Sheriff's Office is searching for an inmate who escaped from a work crew near Brownwood Tuesday.

William Robert Smith Jr. walked away from a work crew about 11:25 a.m. at the Brown County Precinct 1 barn near U.S. Highway 377 and Coggin Avenue, south of Brownwood, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Smith, 21, is 5-foot-8-inches and weighs about 180 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

According to jail records, Smith was being held on charges of interfering with an emergency call and resisting arrest, search or transport. The charges are misdemeanors, the media release stated.

Any information about Smith's whereabouts should be relayed to Chief Deputy of Corrections Becky Caffey at 325-646-5510. ext. 4303. Or, call 911.